The Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Match day returns for 2013

On March 14, members of the community will come together again to raise funds for 21 nonprofits participating in the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s second annual Match Day. The event is the only of its kind in Wisconsin and is designed to raise awareness for basic needs in the greater Milwaukee area.

Thanks to more than $750,000 in matching funds contributed by a pool of funders including the Brewers Community Foundation, each donation made online on March 14 will be proportionately matched, up to $750,000. The inaugural Match Day event raised more than $1.8 million last year.

“Despite increased efforts to support these organizations, many individuals and families in our communities are continuing to struggle to make ends meet for basic needs that many of us take for granted,” said Ellen M. Gilligan, President and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “We hope to carry forward the success of Match Day 2012, which raised $1.8 million, and leverage even more support from the community to increase the ability of these nonprofits to meet the demand for their services.”

Coordinated by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, the event showcases 21 participating agencies in southeast Wisconsin helping meet individuals’ basic food and shelter needs, including: Advocates of Ozaukee, Center for Veterans Issues, Community Advocates, Daystar, Family Promise of Washington County, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Food Pantry of Waukesha County, Friends of Abused Families, Guest House of Milwaukee, Hebron House of Hospitality, Hope Center, Hope House of Milwaukee, Hunger Task Force, Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Pathfinders Milwaukee, Repairers of the Breach, Salvation Army of Greater Milwaukee, Sojourner Family Peace Center, The Cathedral Center, The Women’s Center, and Walker’s Point Youth & Family Center.

To create Match Day, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has partnered again with Razoo, an online platform that simplifies giving. Razoo also offers training to help nonprofits build robust online fundraising abilities to help strengthen their donor base for years to come. Before undertaking Match Day, Razoo helped create two similar day-long giving events in Minnesota, netting $24 million in donations for 4,000 nonprofits.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service has created a downloadable version of “The Long March to Freedom,” a compilation of 15 in-depth articles and profiles commemorating the 50th anniversary of the open housing marches in Milwaukee in 1967-68.